Frankenstein Conquers the World
| running time = 87 min. | country = Japan | language = Japanese | budget = | gross revenue = | preceded by = | followed by = War of the Gargantuas (1966) }} Frankenstein Conquers the World is a Japanese science fiction film of the giant monster "kaiju" subgenre. It was directed by Ishirô Honda and written by Takeshi Kimura and Jerry Sohl. It was produced by Toho Company, Ltd. as well as American International Pictures for U.S. release. It premiered in Japan on August 8th, 1965 and in the United States on July 8th, 1966. The premise of the film involves the heart of the original Frankenstein Monster, which was recovered by Japanese soldiers during World War II and exposed to radiation, which prompted it to grow a new body for itself. Fifteen years later, this perpetually mutating man-monster is found wandering the streets of Hiroshima where it is taken in by two compassionate scientists. The creature ultimately escapes however and continues to grow and eventually fights another monster known as Baragon. Plot Cast Notes & Trivia * The original Japanese title to this film is Furankenshutain tai chitei kaijû Baragon. The American translation of which is, Frankenstein versus Subterranean Monster Baragon. * The tagline for this film is, "He rolled the Seven Wonders of the World into one!" * The title, Frankenstein Conquers the World, is a bit of a misnomer. Truth be told, Frankenstein doesn't really conquer crap. * Screenwriter Takeshi Kimura is credited as Kaoru Mabuchi in this film. * Actor Kôzô Nomura is credited under his birth name Terunobu Nomura * This is the first sci-fi film work for executive producer Henry G. Saperstein. He is the president of American International Pictures. * The character of Frankenstein was created by Victorian author Mary Shelley and first appeared in the seminal classic, Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus. * This is the first appearance of Baragon. He also appears in the 1968 movie Destroy All Monsters. * Actor Haruo Nakajima, who plays Baragon, is best known for playing Gojira in all of the Showa series Godzilla films. * Playing Furankenshutain is Kôji Furuhata's second and final work in film. He previously played a character named Hiroshi in the French dramatic romance film L'amour à 20 ans, or, L'amour à vingt ans (translated as Love at 20) in 1962. * This is the only film work for actor Kenichiro Kawaji, who plays the younger version of Furankenshutain in the early scenes from the film. * Actor Takashi Shimura, who plays an Axis scientist in this film is also known for playing Doctor Yamane in the 1954 film Gojira. Oddities * If the Frankenstein creature could grow back it's own limbs, then how come his missing tooth never grew back? * It is noted by scientists in the film that the Frankenstein creature is a blue-eyed Caucasian. However, the character is very clearly of Asian descent, which is odd considering that it's body was grown from the heart of the original Frankenstein Monster, whose limbs originated from men of Swiss origin. * If you see a teenage waif who is the victim of a hit and run, instead of calling for emergency services, it is best to throw bags of meat at it first. Recommendations See also External Links * * Frankenstein Conquers the World at Wikizilla * Frankenstein Conquers the World at Wikipedia * * * References ---- Category:Films Category:1965 films Category:Toho Company, Ltd. Category:American International Pictures Category:1st installments Category:Horror Film List Category:Nick Adams